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Saturday, 22 February 2014

Chillin' on Koh Tao Island, Thailand

Turns out this is the longest amount of time that we have spent in one place so far during our time in Thailand.

I convinced Cyn to do her open water diving course, so we have been here for 4 glorious days full of sun, sand, diving and fun.

As a side note, I am SO proud of her for doing the course! She had a bit of an incident where she inhaled water on her second dive and couldn't cough into her regulator (the hose you breathe through) so she panicked a little and ascended. She calmed down, coughed a bunch, and decided to go back down. It's hard to do that when you have your first scare under water, but it totally paid off - she is now PADI certified, so proud :)

The most adorable diving center dog

We got free accommodation through our courses (sunshine inn), and it was a bit of a sketchy place. Bare bones, no sheets on the stained beds, a yucky bathroom, but we survived.

We are staying at the south end of the island, but have also heard that Sairee beach on the west coast is awesome too.

If you're not here for diving, don't fret! There are awesome snorkelling places just off the beaches, and you can do day excursions to nearby islands and see turtles(!!) and also do some sea kayaking.

If you are looking for a chill place to hang out, with cool little bars and restaurants and a good vibe, I would def recommend coming to Koh Tao.

Be sure to book your accommodations in advance, especially if you are coming after the full moon party. Tourists kind of come in waves to this place - it starts in Koh Phangan and Koh Samui (for the poor suckers like us who didn't book a place in advance) and then people disperse to the nearby islands, like Koh Tao.

The beaches here are beautiful, and there are cool rock formations along the coast. One of the guys that I did my advanced course with said that they look like they could stand up and walk away. I know, so poetic ;)

Anywho, we're taking the night ferry and bus to the west side of the peninsula tonight to do some rock climbing. So pumped!

Hope all is well in the world with everyone, catch you on the flip side.